A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a record head having nozzles that discharge liquid; a transporting path along which a medium is transported; a transporting mechanism that transports the medium along the transporting path; a sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element and disposed at a first position on the transporting path, the first position being located upstream relative to the record head in a transporting direction of the medium, the sensor outputting a signal in accordance with presence or absence of the medium at the first position; and a control unit that controls supply of power to the sensor and detects the presence or absence of the medium through the sensor. The control unit stops the supply of power to the sensor when the control unit detects a downstream end of the medium in the transporting direction, and resumes the supply of power to the sensor when the control unit detects an upstream end of the medium in the transporting direction.